[REWRITTEN] Wanted for Protagonizin' [a West of Loathing fanfiction]

Chapter 4

''Town ! Dirtwater is in sight ! We're almost there !''
 
And the horse and mule stopped by a basin full of water. Their owners climbed down their backs. Coraline picked her case and glanced at the town in front of her. It was now more lively than Boring Springs was. And more welcoming, without any doubt. She took a deep breath and sighed out. She missed this smell for a very long time now, and she could finally have a taste of it. Sure, it felt like wind, heath and sweat all gathered together, but she did not care less. And the soft chatter of people on every side made it more pleasant than plain silence. Coraline gestured to her pardner, that was waving at her himself.
 
''Well, now this looks like a good place for a saloon Jimmy,'' he told her with a broad smile.
 
''It… sure does,'' she said with a hesitant chuckle. ''Right, let's now go look for somewhere to live.''
 
''Hey Cory, I think ya'll like ta see this !'' he gestured to a sign that was lying next to a building by the name of ''Jewel Saloon''. The sign was reading-
 
''Room for rent, inquire within.  You got a nice catch there, Pete ! Let's see what they have !'' and with that, the two fellows entered the saloon.
 
It looked like pretty much any kind of saloon, at first. People drinking, people talking, people pointing guns at each other… the usual. Though, something sounded really wrong with the music : it was distorted, wrong-looking, and ears splitting. What in tarnation was going on with this ? Without any doubt, Coraline stepped closer to the bartender that was busy serving a client.
 
''Howdy, barkeep ! My name's Coraline Barcheor-Tretchy !''
 
''Howdy Coraline, I'm Lloyd. Welcome to Dirtwater.''
 
''Thank you !''
 
''So, what brings you here ?''
 
''Well, we're just travelers, and we thought that perhaps, this place would be a nice one to stay ! … we heard you had a room for rent ?''
 
''Exactly. For two people. It's all yours if you manage to find the problem with our pianist. He's not at his best days, and we try our best to fix him up at least every one or two years,'' Lloyd pointed at the said man that was twitching every so often in mechanical moves.
 
Coraline accepted the offer and went closer to him. She first did not see where the problem precisely was. He was playing, like any other pianist. But the sound that was coming out of it was still unpleasant. She looked closer. There was the problem : it wasn't actually coming from the pianist, but the instrument : the partition seemed to be correct, but the tiles were not producing the satisfying sound of a piano like it should do.
I didn't really get to fix a piano by myself. But maybe with my trustworthy needle, I can find out something to fix ! She thought while sorting a needle from her case. She came closer to the machine and could easily sort the wooden crate that was topping the inner system, with the hammers tapping on the strings. Now she finally found it ! It was about the stretched up strings : they were tangled up. Maybe by moving a thing or two, with just the help of her precious needle…!
 
She didn't even make a single move forward that she cut a string. Crumbles. She jumped backwards, before the piano could fall on her head. It now laid there, just a pile of wooden junk now. The pianist remained sit in front of it, still pretending to play. Everybody else turned their heads to her. They all eyed her menacingly -- at the exception of Pete. She glanced everywhere, clearing her throat before she could say :
 
''Uuh… I can repay for another one ?''
 
We heard sounding screams of distress from outside. Coraline and Pete got kicked out of the saloon by a raging wave of hands throwing them on the beach shore that was the firm and dirty ground.
 
''And never come back here again, you pro amateur !'' Lloyd huffed before slamming the doors shut. Coraline could now stand up on her feet, dusting herself off.
 
''Hey Pete, are you okay ?'' she helped him standing up. He gave her a nod. She then started to panic. ''Oh no…! I ruined everything. I ruined our unique chance to have a room of our own, thanks to my clumsiness ! I'm so sorry about this, Pete,'' she started to sob.
 
''Eh, it don't matter !'' Pete rejoiced, patting firmly on her back. ''We still gotta lotta places to find ! An' I prefer outdoors, t'be 'onest.''
 
''A-Are you sure about that, Pete ?''
 
''Defini'ly !''
 
These words brought a tiny smile to her face. Coraline then stood up, shaking hands with him. Together, they climbed back their steeds that were done drinking, before they headed further west, to search somewhere for the camp.
 
 
Their wandering lasted for a certain time, for that even when night fell, and they had to be guided by Pete’s lamp, they still did not settle themselves. It was hard to ever gaze upon horizon, but Coraline still glanced sideways, the wind blowing her hair – and her hat – backwards.
 
‘’Any luck on your side, Pete ?’’ she asked the elderly man.

‘’Well nah. Not even a cave ‘round ‘ere.’’
‘’… You know what ? We’re just gonna settle here, it’s better than anything, right ?’’
She made Nicholas stop to a halt. She dismounted him. Now she had her case on her shoulder, she scurried the horizon. There was nothing else but plain desert landscapes, with sand and cactuses reaching till horizon line. Coraline heaved a sigh before walking off a direction, warning Pete that she would find some wood for a campfire.
It was done under five minutes. The duo was now sitting down the floor, a can of beans for both of them. The crickets’ soft chatter was enough for Coraline to make silence the least unpleasant.
“Mm, that’s some good’ol food ya got us there lass !” the old man exclaimed. “Where d’ya get that from ?”
“Oh, you mean the beans ? From my old home… I used to get them at breakfast, with a slice of toast,” the red-haired responded. Then, she laid down the floor, now she was done eating. “Pete ? I’m sorry again about what happened tonight… I wish I could have think beflre acting.”
“Hey, it’s no problem at all !” he rejoiced, addressing him an empathizong smile. “I know ya didn’ mean anythin’ wrong ! Ye were just doin yer job.”
“O-Oh but, Pete, I’m not even-“
“Is okay ! I forgive ya.”
“O-Oh, Pete…” she wiped off her grateful tears. “Okay, let’s try to sleep, now. Good night, pardner. Tomorrow, we’ll try looking out for the railroad station the barkeep mentionned at the saloon.”
“Neat ! Goo’night !”
With that, the two pals fell asleep, the steeds soon drifting away too…
“Okay, we arrived ! Dirtwater it is,” Robert rejoiced as the chart stopped to an halt. “Now all we gotta do is lay low an’ sleep for the night !”
“And what about Cory, hm ?”
“Can’t it wait tomorrow ?”
“… I guess you are right. We will wait on tomorrow, then,” Rose replied, before tugging a paper out of her breast. She unfolded it. She looked at the picture of a young lady wearing a dress with long hair, in black and white. She contemplated her face for a good minute or so, before folding it and tugging it in back in place. She tried to fall asleep in the chart, but Robert’s wonderfully loud snoring wasn’t helping, at all.
The net day, Coraline and Pete mounted on their steeds and galloped together to the northern-west direction.
‘’The train station should be here !’’ Coraline informed him. ‘’If we follow the barkeep’s instructions, we shouldn’t be too far away !’’ together, they made some yards travel, until they spotted a train stopped dead on its track. They recognized it as the one that is supposed to go all the way west. She stopped Nicholas to an halt and gave him an apple now she dismounted him. Pete climbed down his mule’s back as well.
‘’Well thankfully, this one is stopped,’’ Coraline remarked.
‘’Don’t think it’d go too far, look at this big’ol pile of rocks !’’ Pete exclaimed while pointing forward. She started stepping ahead. While on her way, she saw people staying outside of the train ; a man sleeping on the floor, a woman whistling – nice blowing ! – and finally, a man with a fancy watch. She couldn’t resist but have a peek at it.
‘’Say… that’s a nice watch. Where’d you get it ?’’
‘’I bought it from this gal what runs a store down south of here,’’ the man started, ‘’name o’ Buttonwillow. Buttonwillow Mc… McSomething.’’
‘’Where’s this store, exactly ?’’
‘’Oh, you can’t miss it. It’s right between a cactus and another cactus,’’ he then pointed to a spot on her already started map. Coraline thanked him. ‘’Don’t mention it,’’ he replied with a wink.’’
Then, she went at the very end of the train. Here was a man all dressed in white, his top hat included. He looked utterly disappointed. At what, precisely ? That’s what Coraline was going to look for.
‘’Hi, are you in charge ?’’ she asked him. ‘’I was wondering if there’s anything I can do to help.’’
‘’You want to know something ?’’ the man asked. ‘’I love trains. Ever since I was a little boy. Huge, magnificent, roaring iron beasts. They were magical to me, like dragons. When the opportunity arose to take on management of this rail line, I jumped on it like a shot. And you know what I learned ?’’
‘’No…?’’
‘’Organizing and building and running one of these operations is the most amazing pain in the ass you will ever imagine. You want to help ?’’ he gave her his top hat. ‘’Congratulations, you’re the new foreman. Or forewoman, in that case. I’m going home to play with my models.’’
And with that, the man turned on his heels and walked away. Coraline couldn’t resist but watch him disappearing in the distance with a sympathizing look. She sighed. She looked at the hat, then at the man with round glasses and the bowl hat she didn’t recognize at first. She got a bit startled. Both stared at each other before she said :
‘’I guess I’m the boss, now ?’’ the man then looked her up and down.
‘’Well now, I s’pose you can’t be any worse than that last clown,’’ he extended his hand to her. ‘’Name’s Smee. I’m your assistant.’’
‘’Coraline Barcheor-Tretchy. Just keep Coraline in mind,’’ they shook hands. ‘’What’s the situation ?’’
‘’Well, I’m sure you didn’t miss seeing this giant pile of rocks blocking our path. The surveyors say there isn’t any other suitable mountain pass, so we can’t reroute around it even if we had the months it’d take.’’
‘’Any ideas ?’’
‘’Well, by my calculations, we could dynamite it clear without too much trouble,’’ Smee explained. ‘’Problem is, it’ll take a lot of dynamite. A while year’s worth, I figure. We used to keep that much on hand, for emergencies just such as this one, but a pack of goblins stole it all. Sneaky little varmints,’’ he muttered to himself.
‘’Alright ! I’ll see to get it back for you,’’ Coraline offered him with a smile.
‘’Glad to hear it ! The goblins are holed up over in Gustavson Gulch,’’ he then pointed at a direction. ‘’It’s a real rough place – you might want to spend some time getting the lay of the land and horning your fighting skills before you head that way. Especially if you plan to go in guns blazing. We don’t need that specific dynamite, though. Any you can lay your hands on’d be fine, so long as there’s enough of it.’’
‘’Alright Smee ! I’ll make sure to be quick. See you !’’
‘’Alright, boss. Good luck.’’
They waved at each other before Coraline hurried to her pardner and climbed on her steed.
‘’Alright Pete ! We have a mission on our hands ! We have to go to Gustavson Gulch, and quick, so we can finally fix that darn train line !’’
‘’I’m all with you lass !’’ Pete rejoiced while going on his mule. ‘’Now, which way is it ?’’
‘’… Uh-‘'